Choices
by 0-Crimson-0-Nightshade-0
Summary: Zelda must make a decision, a decision that she must make for the good of Hyrule. But how will the best decision sit with her heart? Dark Link x Zelda
1. Prologue

**_Choices_**

**_-0-Crimson-0-Nightshade-0-_**

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Legend of Zelda… or the awesomeness that is Dark Link. _

_**Summary:**_ _Zelda must make a decision, a decision that she must make for the good of Hyrule. But how will the best decision sit with her heart? (DLxZel)_

_**Note:** I am not sure what the throne room of Hyrule castle looked like in OoT, so I will be describing the throne room from TP. And I want you all to thank my wonderful Beta CrimsonKaoru!!! Lets hear a big hand for her!!_

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Zelda knew why Ganondorf, the Gerudo King, had summoned her. No feelings were betrayed, however, as she strode purposefully forwards, her flaxen hair flowing out behind her. Her face was set in a determined stare, blue eyes blazing, mouth tightened into a thin, angry line. Her delicate gloved hands were balled into fists so tight that her nails were digging into her skin. Her dress of white and pink silk whipped around her in the gentle breeze.

She paused when she reached the door to the Gerudo King's palace. Her hand quivered inches away from the knocker, for Zelda knew what awaited her in that castle. A choice that could alter the events in Hyrule forever; a choice between her duties, and her heart.

Sudden fear crossed her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut, grasping the knocker. She knocked three times, and each was like a blow to her heart.

Slowly, the door opened, and a grotesque creature appeared. It had blue skin, and a wide mouth filled with hundreds of sharp teeth. Two filthy tufts of white hair failed to cover its balding head. Its too-thin body was covered only from the hips down; all else was left uncovered. The creature's orange eyes widened with malicious glee when it saw who had come to its master's door, and it smiled at the princess, baring rotten teeth. It turned and chattered in its own language for a few seconds before turning back to the princess and saying in heavily accented Hylian, "My master has been waiting for you, Princess of Hyrule."

Zelda nodded stiffly and entered, following the bokoblin through the halls of what was once her castle.

As they passed through the hallways that she knew so well, she took care not to see what Ganondorf had done with the place. So instead, she stared at the back of the creature before her. They reached the throne room and Zelda finally looked up, gasping at what she saw. The statue paying tribute to the Goddesses was in pieces, although the rendering of the Triforce was still intact. She took a deep breath and looked to the throne.

On what was once her father's seat of power sat a man about six feet in height. His skin was a grotesque green color, but his eyes, gleaming with malice, were bright amber. His head was covered in a mane of bright red hair and he wore heavy black armor courtesy of his constant paranoia that he would be overthrown. His hands were folded on his lap, although they moved to the arms of the throne once he saw whom he was to be addressing. A smirk of epic proportions crossed his face and he stood, folding his hands behind his back.

"Princess Zelda," he called in a deep baritone, "so glad you could make it!" His sarcasm was clear. They both knew that Zelda had to come here to meet the King of Evil. Both knew that Ganondorf wouldn't hesitate to kill the princess of Hyrule if she didn't exactly as he said. "So," he said as he began to walk towards her, "you must be tired from your walk over here; I know the dungeons are far away."

Zelda remained silent, and she refused the chair that a bokoblin offered her. Ganondorf's smirk faded and a look of hatred took its place. "All right, princess, we both know why you're here. I have a choice for you. A choice, between two men that you know. One is the Hero of Time." Zelda had expected that, but she acted surprised all the same. Ganondorf smirked and continued, "And the other, my dear princess, is the shadow of the hero."

At this Zelda almost lost her composure; how could Ganondorf have known about that?! The moment that the Gerudo King had mentioned that name, she was overwhelmed by a rush of memories. She had met Dark Linksome time after she had met the Hero of Time. At first, she had actually though he was the Hero. He had come to her in the night, probably sent by Ganondorf to kill her. She had been frightened and asked who he was. The shadow had gotten confused and replied that he didn't know. They spoke for a while, and the shadow decided that he didn't want to kill Zelda. So he decided to lie to Ganondorf and return to the princess whenever he could. The two started to see each other every night. They would talk and joke and have a great time. In time, they began to fall in love.

Seven years passed and once Zelda revealed herself, the shadow would often visit her in the dungeons. He never told her that he was fighting the Hero of Time when he wasn't with her. It was here, in these secret meetings, that they first kissed. Ganondorf must have noticed something—the shadow's lighter mood, or the hours he spent in the dungeons—but soon, the shadow stopped coming to see the princess.

Zelda jerked back to reality and returned her face to its normal emotionless state. There was a look of almost glee on Ganondorf's face as he watched her reaction. Finally she asked, "And what will I be choosing between them for?"

At this, Ganondorf's smirk widened. "One will die today," he said simply.

"Bring them in!" he commanded of the two Stalfos Knights that guarded the door. They attempted to smile, but being a skeleton has its disadvantages. They opened the door, and two more Stalfos Knights led two men into the room.

The first walked in steadily, almost calmly. He wore a tattered green tunic and hat. On the man's back was a beautiful sword in a sheath with gold trimmings. He had hair the color of corn silk and eyes as blue as the sky. The moment the Hero of Time saw the woman he loved, the moment he saw Zelda, he began to fight his captors.

The second man was nowhere near as calm. He was held by at least twice as many chains. He struggled madly and probably would have been shouting insults to the Gerudo King if he hadn't been gagged. He wore a well taken care of black tunic and hat, although now both were soiled with dirt. His jet-black hair whipped around furiously as his crimson eyes glared at any monster in the room. When he saw the princess, his mad fight against his restraints stopped. He simply stared from Zelda to Ganondorf. The startling thing about the men was the fact that they were identical.

The Stalfos Knights forced them to their knees and held them still. Both looked at Zelda and avoided Ganondorf's eyes. Ganondorf looked down at the men and to the princess.

"Choose."

Zelda glanced between the two men mystified. How could she make a decision like this? She knew that for the good of Hyrule she should choose the Hero of Time. And yet her heart cried out for the man beside him to be chosen. If she chose Dark Link, the hero's shadow, the worlds only chance of freedom would die and the world would fall to darkness, leaving Ganondorf to rule forevermore. And if she chose Link, Hyrule would be saved, but the man she loved would be dead. A single tear ran down her face as she prepared to make her decision. She spoke one word and one word alone.

"Dark."

The shadow's head snapped up and his face softened. Ganondorf laughed raucously and lifted his hand to smite the Hero of Time. But before he could use his magic, Dark Link smiled crookedly and shook his head.

"No."

Ganondorf's face took on an ugly look. He turned to look at the shadow. "What did you say, boy?" he growled.

"I said no," Dark said, almost stubbornly, "the Hero of Time won't be dying today."

Ganondorf snarled and pushed Link towards the princess. He grabbed Dark Link by his hair and pulled his head back. The King of Evil leaned down and snarled at him, "You know you're a traitor, don't you?" Dark smirked in reply, and Ganondorf signaled to his minions to open the curtains. "Well, Dark, if you are to live as a shadow, then you are to die like one!"

Dark's eyes widened in terror but other than that, he showed no sigh of even caring about his death. He simply gave the King of Evil a strong if a bit frightened look. Ganondorf smirked grabbing him by the collar and threw him in the pool of sunlight. The shadow of the Hero screamed in agony and began to burn. He writhed in utter agony and tried to find a place of darkness. He clawed his way to the edge of the light, and managed to escape it. There he lay in a heap of burned cloth and skin. Ganondorf scoffed. "Leave him, he'll die soon enough."

Throughout the shadow's moments in the light, Zelda struggled madly against Link's strong arms. She wanted to help Dark― no she _needed_ to. By the time Dark was free of the light, the three were left alone. The princess of Hyrule forcefully broke Link's grip on her. She hurried forward to reach battered form of the shadow.

"So, Zelda," Link's voice rang out from across the room, "you would rather choose for Hyrule to be in darkness, than in light?"

As the Princess worried over Dark's burned form, she called back, "Link, you… you don't understand."

"No, I don't," he murmured as he walked over. He looked Zelda in the eyes and asked, "You would rather have the shadow of someone than the real thing?!"

"I love him!" As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. The look of disgusted heartbreak on Link's face was too much to bear.

"Zelda…" came the raspy whisper below her. She looked down at Dark, tears beginning to form in her eyes."You," he began, "you need to know something..."

She gently touched his shoulder. "What is it?" she whispered.

"I..." he started, but at that moment, the burns that coveredhis body became to much to bear, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Zelda held his body close and began a silent prayer to the Goddesses, begging them to spare the man she loved from death...

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I like clifhangery prologues! I hope you like it too!

Please read and Review!

Next:

**_The Meeting _**


	2. The Meeting

_**Choices**_

_**-0-Crimson-0-Nightshade-0-**_

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own The Legend of Zelda… or the awesomeness that is Dark Link. _

_**Summary:**_ _Zelda must make a decision, a decision that she must make for the good of Hyrule. But how will the best decision sit with her heart? (DLxZel)_

_**Note:**__ I would like to thank those of you who wanted this to continue. Especially __Caladchbolg__ for giving me the idea to extend this in the first place__And I want you all to thank my wonderful Beta CrimsonKaoru!!! Let's hear a big hand for her!! I would like to apologize for the ENORMOUS wait for this. I've been having a lot of school stuff to do. So… yeah… sorry:blushing smile: Ummm... I'd also like to thank those of you who have waited for this story to be updated. Thanks for waiting for so long! _

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Seven years ago, life hadn't been this difficult. As the Princess of Hyrule thought back to that simpler time, suddenly, she was ten years old again and looking though the window in the castle courtyard. She always kept a tight watch on Ganondorf, especially when he visited her Father, which was becoming a common occurrence.

She glared through the window at the green-skinned Gerudo. Why didn't anyone believe her premonition? Zelda, at least, could see that Ganondorf was an evil man. That boy in the green tunic with the faery–Link, wasn't it? That little boy in green was the only one that believed her in the kingdom. _And our only chance at peace,_ she though darkly.

At that moment, she thought she heard footsteps on the grass behind her. She immediately brightened, expecting it to be Link back with the Spiritual Stone of Fire. Zeldaspun around with a cry of, "Link! I'm so glad you're…" She trailed off, surveying the garden.

There was no one there.

Zelda frowned; she was _sure_ she had heard something.

Instead of pursuing the sound, she turned back to the window—just in time to see Ganondorf present a long, curved blade to the King. His three female Gerudo guards didn't look very pleased with him giving their weapons to a man, and Zelda chuckled; the Gerudos seemed unhappy whenever Ganondorf even _spoke_ to a man. As she watched Ganondorf explain what the weapon was used for in gruesome detail, she heard another step in the grass.

This time, the princess was ready. The moment she heard the sound, she spun with a shout of, "What do you think you're doing?!" only to be again surprised by the sight before her. There was nothing there but the flowers.

Now she was getting worried. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she looked around. She tried to calm herself; _It could have been the wind_. Zelda began to turn back to the window. Or she was imagining things. Nodding, Zelda decided, _That must be it._ After all, she was watching the man she believed could destroy Hyrule. It was more than likely for her to get a little paranoid.

Then she heard someone step right behind her on the stone steps.

Knowing she couldn't have imagined that, she squeezed her eyes shut. Spinning around, Zelda threw a punch directly behind her. She expected to finally hit the prankster, but she hit nothing but thin air.

Zelda sighed in relief and opened her eyes, thinking that there was nothing there.

Instead, she found her hand through a boy's chest.

The princess of Hyrule stared in terror at her fist. She opened her mouth to either scream or vomit― she had just killed a boy! But, before she could do either, an extremely annoyed voice growled, "You know, that's really rude. Even if I am just a shadow."

At this, she looked up and, to her surprise, found two enraged crimson eyes staring back at her. She looked back down at her hand and quickly jerked it back. The hole in the boy's chest disappeared as if it had never been there, and he crossed his arms as if to keep her punches at bay.

He wore a black tunic that was a bit too big for him and a hat that seemed moments away from falling over his eyes. His face was a bit plump; not all baby fat had vanished yet, and his expression was positively livid. He wore a small shield and what appeared to be a smaller version of the curved blade Ganondorf had offered to the King on his back. The two things that Zelda kept staring at were his skin, which was a similar grey to his tunic, and his bright red eyes.

As he glared at the princess, she realized with a jolt that he looked exactly like the little green-clothed boy who had agreed to help her.

She stared at him, realizing that she could see the garden behind the boy. Her eyes widened as she watched the flowers behind him wave in the breeze. Abruptly, she closed her mouth and tried to look calm as she remembered her manners.

"Wha… who are you?" she asked, realizing just in time that asking 'What are you?' would be rude.

The boy smiled crookedly and raised a hand crying out, "I am…" But then he paused, looking lost. He stared into the distance, as if confused about what he was saying. After a few seconds of silence, he muttered, "I don't know who I am."

"Well, that's silly," Zelda protested, causing the boy to begin to glare once more. "Everyone knows who they are!"

The boy raised an eyebrow, giving her a sarcastic smile. "Well, I'm not everyone."

This startled a laugh out of the princess. The boy was so frank that it was funny.

The 'shadow', as he called himself, stared at her, confused. He had never heard someone laugh—truly _laugh_—with joy before. Usually, if he had acted like that—before his Father, for instance—he would have been cuffed around the ears. Her reaction was so different that he managed to giggle a little himself.

The princess recovered and looked at him seriously. "So, you don't know who you are?"

The boy shook his head, now looking a little sad.

"Well then," Zelda said, smiling, "let's figure it out! Let's start with what you are. Are you a Hylian?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "I already told you; I'm a shadow!"

"A shadow?" she asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow. "If you are a shadow, then shouldn't you be on the ground like most shadows?"

There was silence in response, and Zelda flinched, realizing she was being rude yet again. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know what's gotten into me," she murmured apologetically.

The shadow shook his head. "It's okay. You misunderstand what I mean by a shadow. You see, I was created by Ga―" He froze, not sure if the princess could know that his father was the Gerudo King. After a moment, he decided that it couldn't hurt her anyway.

"Ga? You were created by Ga―"

"By Ganondorf," he cut in, a small smile on his face."To destroy the Hero of Time. In a way, I am his shadow."

Zelda stared at the boy, shocked—almost terrified. The boy, seemingly unaware of her change, looked at the ground and smiled, murmuring, "I suppose you could call me Dark Link."

At this, her breath caught in her throat. Link, that sweet little faery boy, was destined to become the legendary Hero of Time? She paled as she realized what this boy, what Dark Link was saying.

He was going to kill her only chance at saving Hyrule.

Suddenly, the princess felt hot, dizzy, and nauseous all at once. She caught a fleeting glimpse of the ground rushing towards her, and the sensation of arms wrapping around her before she was passed out.

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The moment the Princess began to fall, Dark had run forward to catch her. Inwardly he kicked himself for telling her so much. Ganondorf had only told him to come to the garden to kill the Princess.

But when he had arrived, he had paused, forgetting his orders. Instead, the little shadow had watched her curiously. He had never seen a Hylian before, his father being a Gerudo― the Gerudo _King_ in fact.

By the time he had reached her, and she punched him, he had decided that he might just let her live.

When she had asked about his identity, he had frozen. Ganondorf never called him anything but 'spy' or 'shadow'. Dark knew that those weren't proper names, so he decided to see how she would react to his unknown identity. When she decided to help him, Dark had decided all together not to kill her.

But now, he had gone and opened up his big mouth about his father.

Dark knew that if Ganondorf werehere, he would probably be unconscious for talking so much.

He shook his head free of such troublesome thoughts and turned to the problem at hand. He looked down at the unconscious princess in his arms. Dark's eyes widened as he examined her face. Without the look of terror on her face, she looked so calm. So serene. So…

"Beautiful…" Dark breathed. The moment the word left his lips he looked around the garden nervously, wondering if Ganondorf was watching his every move. He shook his head; Ganon trusted him enough to let him have solo missions; the Gerudo King had better things to do then watching him all day.

Dark stood up and walked over to the small stream that circled the garden. He bent over and scooped up a handful of water. The shadowwalked back over to Zelda and splashed the water in her face.

The shadow bent over her to see if she would wake up. By the time her eyes opened, his face was less then an inch from her own. Instantly she shrieked and punched at him, hitting him squarely in the jaw. This time, he hadn't had enough time to faze out of existence. The shadow flew backwards and landed in the water.

"Owch! Wha- what was _that_ for?!" he snapped, his hand on his mouth.

"What were you planning on doing to me?!" Zelda yelled as an answer.

"Nothing! I was seeing if you were all right! By Din, that hurt!" Dark stood up shakily and dusted himself off.

"Seeing if I was all right?!" Zelda asked shrilly. "If I was all right, what were you planning on doing to me?!"

Dark turned a bright red. "Oh! So just because I live with a bunch of women, everything I do has to do with…" he paused, turning a deeper shade of crimson, "…with having children?!"

"Women?! If you lived with respectable Hylians, I wouldn't be worried. But you live with a bunch of _Gerudos_!" Shocked at herself, the princess immediately clapped her hands over her mouth, knowing she had gone too far.

Dark began to shake with rage. "How… how _dare_ you insult my father's people?! For your information, the Gerudo women are amazing." He looked down suddenly, blinking rapidly. "Although, I really wouldn't know. Father never lets me see any of them… so… what you say couldn't be true anyway." He swiped at the angry tears running down his face.

"Oh," Zelda murmured, looking down, "I'm… I'm sorry."

Dark looked away. "You should be." He murmured breathing heavily. Zelda looked away as he continued. "You know, not many people could insult my people and live."

Zelda gasped and held a hand over her heart. "You… you wouldn't!"

Dark shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. Princess," he looked down as Zelda breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm the one that should be sorry. I… shouldn't have exploded like that." He looked over at the shadows behind him, thinking once again of his mission. Dark shook his head and looked back at Zelda. "I should really be going―"

"Wait!" Zelda called softly.

He turned, surprised. "What is it, Princess?"

She paused, as if looking for the right words, "You aren't really going to kill Link?! Are you?" Zelda blurted, eyes teary. She clapped her hands over her mouth, hoping against hope that no one had heard her.

Dark looked away from her. "I can't promise you anything."

"Why not?! Why do you have to kill him? He's just a little boy!"

Dark spun around fast, eyes flashing. "It's my purpose! It's the only reason that I'm alive at all!"

Zelda looked at Dark, shocked. "What would happen if you," she avoided his eyes, "didn't kill him?"

Dark's face softened. "Father would kill me if I didn't kill the Hero." Zelda's eyes widened. She hadn't expected it to be that dire a consequence. "What do you see in that boy anyway?" Dark asked suddenly. "As you said, he's just a little boy."

"He believed my premonition. He decided to help me…" she paused, "to help me save Hyrule."

Dark looked away, trying not to exclaim something about helping her as well. He thought of his hatred for the Hero he had never met. He thought of the horrible sadness on Zelda's face when he had told her he was to kill him. But mostly, he thought of Zelda not being afraid of him. Of Zelda, becoming his friend. He had never had a friend before, just hundreds of Gerudos bowing to him.

Without thinking, Dark suddenly blurted out, "Princess, what if I promised to avoid the Hero? I can't… fulfill my purpose if I can't find the Hero, right? And technically, it wouldn't be my fault." _What am I saying?_ Dark thought as Zelda's face brightened, _I… I want the Hero dead… don't I? But… to see her sad… even after this short time…_

"Look, why don't we meet tomorrow? We can get to know each other as friends. I won't mention my father," he added quickly, seeing the look on her face. "Look; I can't help being Ganondorf's son anymore than you can help being a princess."

Putting it in such plain terms was a shock for the princess. The shadow boy was right. And besides, if he was anything like his father, he would have killed her when she was unconscious.

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "Maybe you won't turn out like your father. Maybe, you'll be good. I'd be glad to meet you tomorrow."

Dark smiled at her and backed towards a shadowed wall. When he reached the darkness, he became a part of it, and vanished.

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_End chapter_

WOO!! Another chapter done! Sorry again about the wait. Heee we'll be in the past for the rest of the fic. Maybe, I'll even make an epilogue, so you'll see what'll happen to Dark, Link and Zelda in the future. Hope you liked it!!

Sorry about the titanic chapter. It'll prolly be shorter next time.

Next time:

_Decisions_

See you then!


	3. Decisions

_**Choices**_

_**-0-Crimson-0-Nightshade-0-**_

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own The Legend of Zelda… or the awesomeness that is Dark Link. _

_**Summary:**_ _Zelda must make a decision, a decision that she must make for the good of Hyrule. But how will the best decision sit with her heart? (DLxZel)_

_**Note: **__Holy crap. I am so sorry this took so long again. I have to take a few to get the creative juices pumping ya know?_

_Anyhoo, without further ado, here's chapter two of Choices! And Thank my Wonderful Beta as usual!! Crimson Kaoru deserves so much for putting up with me._

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_Recap: Dark smiled at her and backed towards a shadowed wall. When he reached the darkness, he became a part of it, and vanished._

The moment that Dark set foot inside of the Gerudo Fortress, he collapsed in a heap on the ground, his energy spent for the moment. He shook his head and lowered the barrier his father had placed on him to protect him from the light outside. As a shadow, if Dark was to come into contact with direct sunlight, he would die. Unfortunately, Ganondorf's protections used up most of his energy as well as blocking the sun's rays.

Dark shook his head, getting to his feet shakily. He leaned back against the shadowy wall of the hallway, watching as servants rushed by. Occasionally, one would look in his direction, but Dark's tunic blended in quite well against the darkness so no one truly noticed him.

After a few moments of resting, the shadow walked out of his hiding spot, smirking slightly as a few servants jumped. He waved away those who stared at him. Those present knew this boy as the reclusive son of the Gerudo King and were sure to obey him.

Sighing as the servants skirted around him, Dark looked down the hallway to his right. If he were to head that way, he would end up at his door, which led to his room and rest. However if he were to head left, he would eventually come to his father's door. Dark knew from experience that he would have to see Ganondorf eventually― and sooner was better than later.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored his better judgment and let his feet carry him to the right.

_I believe you meant to go_ this _way,_ a voice called out to him. The shadow jumped, but clearly he was the only one that had heard. An invisible force began to turn him around and push him towards the left. To all around him, it looked as though he was grudgingly walking in that direction. In reality, however, he was being forcibly pushed along, his heels digging into the ground. _Come along now, Spy. It's time for you to report to me,_ the voice continued. Dark scowled; he knew _that_ voice all too well. It was his father: the Gerudo King, Ganondorf.

"In you come," his father's voice called from inside. Without further warning, Dark was tugged inside the room.

He crashed onto the ground, yelping as his nose came into contact with the floor. He pushed himself up, clutching at his face and muttering darkly under his breath. Standing up, he glared around the room. Behind him, the door slammed shut. Dark rolled his eyes, used to his father's magic by now.

"Father?" he called out softly. When he got no reply, he scowled and began to walk forward. With every step he took, he grew taller, and older. By the time he had reached the center of the room, he was no longer the innocent looking ten-year-old.

His face had grown angular, his eyes much more cold. Dark crossed thin arms over his loosely fitting tunic. Tapping one booted foot impatiently, the seventeen year-old called out again.

"Ganondorf?! Get out here!"

At that second, a gauntleted hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed Dark by the throat. The hand pulled him in close to Ganondorf who had been lurking in the corner.

"I suggest," the Gerudo King snarled, "that you try to remember who's in charge around here."

Dark struggled and managed to kick his creator weakly in the shin. Ganondorf let the boy go, shaking his head in disgust. Gasping for breath, Dark glared up at the Gerudo King.

"You didn't have to _strangle_ me!" he choked out.

Ganondorf growled, "Dark, _I_ am in charge. You have forgotten this fact once too often, and now you shall be punished for your disobedience"

Rubbing his neck, Dark sighed. "I won't disobey you again…"

"Good." Ganondorf turned around and gazed out the window, staring at the endless expanse of sand known as the Haunted wasteland. "So, how did the mission go?"

Dark blushed slightly in the darkened room. Shuffling his feet uncomfortably, he looked away and muttered something too quiet to hear. "What was that?" the taller man asked sharply. "Speak up, boy!"

"I didn't kill her!"

An uncomfortable silence held control of the room until Ganondorf spoke.

"You didn't kill her."

Dark shook his head. "No."

Seizing the front of Dark's tunic, Ganondorf lifted the boy off the ground. "How dare you directly disobey me!" He threw Dark across the room, the shadow hitting the wall painfully. Stalking over to Dark's crumpled form, Ganondorf snarled, "I told you to kill her. And yet, here you are, and the Princess is still alive!" He punched the wall little more than an inch from Dark's face. The shadow barely flinched and tried to look unafraid as he stared at his father. His traitorous voice, however, told of his fear.

"F-father, I'm… I'm sorry," he stammered, flinching as Ganondorf's eyes flashed at the word 'father', "I… I just couldn't kill her… I don't know why… b-but I couldn't."

Ganondorf paused as Dark mentally kicked himself for letting his fear show. The shadow was terrified that Ganondorf would know immediately that he wanted to be her friend, and expected to die for it. Gulping slightly, he looked up at his father, expecting to see rage. He was surprised to see something that looked like pity.

"You _couldn't_ kill her?" the Gerudo King asked softly.

"No. I just," Dark paused, struggling to find the right words― ones that would describe how the thought of killing her had made him feel sick to his stomach, "couldn't."

"Does she trust you?"

"How should I know?!" Dark exclaimed, almost annoyed. "I barely know her!"

"Can you gain her trust?"

Dark froze. _Is Ganondorf __really__ saying what I think he's saying?_ Looking his father in the eyes, Dark asked, "Are you asking me to bring you information on her? Spy on her?" _And become friends with her?_ he added silently.

The Gerudo King shook his head. "Not yet. For now, I want you to… spend time with her. Gain her trust. Become like a friend to her. Then, once she trusts you with interesting tidbits from around the palace will you bring me information."

Raising an eyebrow Dark frowned, "What are you planning?"

Ganondorf smiled, "Nothing that concerns you."

Dark nodded, waiting anxiously to get ready for the next day's plans He knew that he had to sit still and be a good little spy until he was properly dismissed. Fidgeting slightly, he grinned. "Yes, sir."

Waving his hand dismissively, Ganondorf murmured, "Now scram."

"Yes, sir."

As he ran back towards the door, Dark began to change again. When he reached the entrance to the hallway he was once again a ten-year-old boy with a tunic much too big for him. Grinning toothily, he called back to Ganondorf, "Thank you, Father!"

"I am not your 'Father'." came the expected reply from the confines of the room.

Giggling slightly, Dark ran off in the direction of his room feeling, for the first time since he'd arrived in Hyrule, truly happy.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Rubbing his temples impatiently, Ganondorf turned from where he had been facing the door. _Why is it,_ he thought, thoroughly fed up with Dark's shenanigans, _that whenever he turns into that goddess-cursed ten-year-old, he acts so childish?_ Sighing, he resigned himself to the fact that it made perfect sense that the shadow's 17-year-old mind went dormant at these times.

Looking out the window at the Wastelands once more, he let a small smirk cross his face. Despite his annoyance with Dark, he was pleased that his little plot was working out perfectly. By sending the shadow out to spend time with the princess, Ganondorf was bound to get all kinds of useful information. _Not only that,_ he thought, his smirk spreading, _but Dark will be perfect to keep the Hero away from the Princess._

Legend dictated that whenever and wherever the Hero of Time was to appear, he was destined to fall in love with the Princess of Destiny. The legends said that when the Princess combined her power with the Hero's they would be unstoppable against the forces of darkness. Upon finding that out, Ganondorf had been trying to find a way to keep the Hero away from the Princess.

Discovering Dark's inability to kill the princess at first had filled the Gerudo King with such rage that he was ready to kill the boy. But, after hearing that the shadow wasn't sure as to _why_ he couldn't kill her, Ganondorf had come up with a brilliant scheme.

He would use Dark as a kind of wedge between the Hero and Zelda. If Dark managed to get the Princess to fall in love with him, all the better. As the Hero's shadow, he would be able to keep the Herofrom getting too close to the Princess. The plan was perfect and foolproof.

At least, that is what Ganondorf believed.

o0o0o0o0o0o

_End Chapter_

giant sigh wow… I finally got off my lazy butt and finished it. I like this chapter a lot. I certainly hope you enjoyed it.

Tell me what you think.

Next time:

_The Marketplace_


	4. The Marketplace

_**Choices**_

_**-0-Crimson-0-Nightshade-0-**_

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own The Legend of Zelda… or the awesomeness that is Dark Link. _

_**Summary:**_ _Zelda must make a decision, a decision that she must make for the good of Hyrule. But how will the best decision sit with her heart? (DLxZel)_

_**Notes: **__HOLY CRAP!! Why on EARTH haven't I written this yet??? UGH. The start of this was actually written on the plane to my grandparent's house, XD. As usual, thank my Dear Beta, Crimson Kaoru!! She deserves so much for putting up with my sporadic updates. I'm so so soooo sorry for the ridiculously long wait! If you guys still read this, I'll be a happy person. ; I'll try my best to write the next Chapter as fast as I can! ;_

o0o0o0o0o0o

The next day was when Zelda realized that there was a slight flaw in the plans she and Dark had made.

They had forgotten to say when or where they would be meeting.

So now, here she was, feeling like a complete idiot sitting in the courtyard occasionally looking through the window to watch the Gerudo King. By the time the sun was high in the sky, she had just about decided to give up entirely when someone entered the courtyard. She sprang to her feet, excited, but quickly felt the smile fade from her face.

It wasn't Dark. If anything, this boy was about as far removed from the shadow boy she had befriended as possible. Instead of Dark's transparent grey skin, this boy's skin was darkly tanned. His eyes were amber instead of red, and his hair was crimson. He wore a vest with familiar blue and red symbols, and flowing pants. Around mid calf the pants were tied tight with bandages that led to whimsically curved shoes. It took Zelda a few seconds to realize why the symbols were so familiar; they were sown all over Ganondorf's clothing!

_He was a Gerudo_!

This confused the young princess, _A_ _Gerudo_ boy she thought. _But aren't all Gerudo's—with the exception of Ganondorf—women? _

"Who are you?!" Zelda demanded. "What are you doing here? How did you get past the guards?"

The boy, who had been looking at the plants, turned towards her, and—to Zelda's shock—looked exactly like Link and Dark. He smiled a bit slyly. "Don't you recognize me?" He paused for a moment, looking down at his appearance. "Well, I do look kinda different, don't I?"

Zelda's jaw dropped. She recognized that voice.

"_Dark?!_"

"The one and only!" Dark grinned mischievously and bowed mockingly to her. Zelda felt a grin identical to Dark's spread across her face.

"How… what happened? Y-you look like—"

"Like a Gerudo?" His grin widened. "Good! I'm supposed to. I guess my spell worked!" Seeing the puzzled look on Zelda's face, Dark sighed and began to explain. "You see, where I'm taking you today," he paused, grimacing slightly, "well, I don't really want to draw too much attention to us, so having, you know, _grey_ skin isn't really gonna help.Plus, being Ga—" he winced, "being a Gerudo, I fit right in like this!"

Zelda eyed him suspiciously. "Where exactly are we going, Dark?"

An innocent little smile played across Dark's face, "Why, I'm taking you to the Market Town a'course!"

"_What?!_" Zelda thundered, "I'm not _allowed_ to go to the Market Town!"

"Exactly why I'm taking you! If we get caught, I'll take the blame!" Dark smiled widely holding out a hand. "You coming?"

Zelda looked at him skeptically. "Dark, just because you take the blame doesn't mean I won't get in trouble."

Dark waved his hand dismissively at her pessimistic view on the situation. "Eh, just say I kidnapped you or something. I'll be _fine_ if you use that—Father's gotten me out of way worse…" He shook his head. "But, really, I doubt we'll get caught. You're gonna be in disguise too!" The shadow boy smiled mischievously. "Come on!" He grabbed her hand and started running towards the darkened wall.

"D-Dark? What are you doing?!"

"Just trust me, okay?"

"Dark! We're going to crash into that wall!"

"No, we're not! Just watch!"

Ignoring Zelda's pleas, they continued to run straight towards the wall. Just when they were about to crash, Zelda covered her eyes, but instead of running into Dark, she felt like she was running through water for a moment.

"Hey, Princess? You can open your eyes now," Dark murmured, a mischievous smile on his face.

Pouting slightly, Zelda opened her eyes. Somehow, in some inexplicable way, they were _inside_ the castle. Falling over backwards with a cry of distress, she backed away from Dark, looking around in shock.

"What?!" she began shrilly. "How are we—what—did we just—"

As she continued to babble, Dark leaned over and gently put his hand to her mouth, effectively silencing her.

"I'm a shadow, remember? I can get through walls, as long as there are other shadows there to help me out!" A cocky grin was plastered on his face, and Zelda resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

"W-well, you could have told me."

"Eh, it was more fun this way." Dark started walking off to the right, keeping close to the wall. "You coming?" he called over his shoulder.

Zelda sighed and ran after him, grinning fondly. After a few minutes of walking, she stopped abruptly as Dark turned around. He had a calculating expression on his face and he proceeded to examine her dress. "Dark," she muttered, embarrassed, "what are you doing?"

"I can't smuggle you out in that dress," he said, "even if I could, someone in town would probably recognize you immediately."

Raising an eyebrow, Zelda looked at him incredulously. "You aren't suggesting that I get a new dressare you?"

A huge and mischievous grin spread across Dark's face. "No, no. I already have a new dress for you… follow me."

Confused, Zelda nodded"Alright."

"Good." And with that, he grabbed her hand and walked through the wall again. But this time, they didn't end up outside of the palace. Instead, they appeared in a wing of the castle that Zelda didn't come to often. It was by far not the most lavish hallway in the castle, but it wasn't overly plain either. The walls were whitewashed with red and gold accents. The only other thing in the hall was a heavy looking wooden door off to one side. "Wait here, I'll be right back," he called as he turned and slipped through the wall.

Zelda sighed, grinning after the little shadow boy. He was just so spur of the moment that it was hard not to like him. Within a few moments, Dark had appeared once again, holding a rather pretty soft blue dress with golden triangle patterns.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get that?"

Dark grinned rather sheepishly and began to rub the back of his head. "Well, see, there was this merchant—"

"You stole it?!"

He shrugged slightly. "I wouldn't say stole—"

"You _stole_ it," she said, anger rising.

He held his hands up as if in defense. "Hey! I didn't steal it. Even if I had, no one would have seen me." A crooked smile appeared on his face. "After all, I am a Gerudo!"

There was a brief silence. Quickly realizing Zelda's lack of amusement, Dark returned to the tactic of reassuring her.

"Look," he said, one hand nervously playing with his hair, "I just walked over to the merchant, said 'Hey! That's a nice dress!' and the guy practically threw it at me, shrieking things about it being free! Okay?"

Zelda sighed, defeated. "Alright, if you say so."

"Put it on," was his only reply.

The princess blinked. "Well, I can hardly change when you're standing right there, Dark."

He rolled his eyes, "I meant in the room!" he said, exasperated. "Youjust can't believe that I'm an honorable Gerudo, can you?"

She frowned at him. "Well, it's not my fault. I was raised not to trust Gerudos. Especially not their men," she said, a small but mischievous smile on her face.

Dark sighed, smiling as well. "Look, I can change your opinion of my people later, would you just get the dress on? I want to get out of here before noon."

Zelda nodded and took the dress into the room with her. She changed quickly and came back out to see Dark waiting, tapping his foot impatiently. "Well," she asked"w-what do you think?"

Dark looked over at her, his eyes widening. The dress fit her perfectly. To Zelda's surprise a blush slowly crept across his face. He fumbled for words"You… you look… kind of pretty."

Zelda smiled and spun around."You think so? Thanks a lot!" She turned towards the wall. "Alright then! Let's go!"

"Hold on."

Zelda turned and looked at him, feigning annoyance. "Oh, so one second you're all, 'hurry, hurry!' and the next, you want me to hold on?"

Dark smiled sheepishly. "I just want to make one adjustment." Reaching towards her, he pulled her headdress off. Smiling,he said, "There! Now there's no way anyone could recognize you!" He held out a hand. "Ready to go to the Market Town?"

Zelda smiled brightly, nodding. "You bet I am!" She took his hand and walked through the wall with him, into the bright sunlight. She didn't see it, but for a second, Dark winced, his true looks showing through his disguise. Within a few seconds however, his father's spell to ward off sunlight had taken hold, and he looked like a Gerudo once more.

He pulled in front and smiled at Zelda."This is your first time outside the palace, without guards breathing down your neck, isn't it?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "No. I go out all the time. I go through the gardens, I ride my horse with Impa… I mean, I've tried to sneak out to the Market town a few times… but, this'll really be the first time I've made it all the way to town for more than maybe an hour." She smiled widely.

Dark nodded and ran off in the direction of the town calling to her over his shoulder, "Last one there has to buy lunch!"

Zelda laughed and ran after him. As she caught up, she thought about what he had said. That hardly seemed fair. She was royalty after all. Shouldn't _he_ have to pay?

o0o0o0o0o0o

"'Oi! You are going to pay, aren't you?" the gruff voice of the merchant shouted. Zelda frozelooking rather annoyed. All she had done was taken a pastry! She had left the money on the counter. Why was he so upset? The merchant crossed his thick arms and frowned at her. "Well, little missy? Where's my money?!" Zelda flushed with anger. _Little missy_?! She was a _princess_! She shouldn't have to put up with this!

"For your information—" She was cut off as Dark stepped in front of her. His presence had an instant effect on the man. His face turned into a mask of terror, and he backed away slightly.

"If you notice, sir, she left the money on your counter," Dark said, his tone cold, and clipped like a perfect Gerudo. He had always had the accent of a Gerudo, he simply had changed his tone. Zelda glanced at him. With that slight change in his voice, she would have thought it was Ganondorf if she didn't see Dark right in front of her.

The merchant's voice took on an unctuous tone as he tried to save his skin from this little Gerudo boy. "No, no, sir! You are a guest of Hyrule! Your friend there can have it! She can have it for free!" He smiled, trying too hard to be friendly.

Dark smiled tightly. "Why, thank you so much," he put his arm around Zelda's shoulders and snatched her money back off of the counter, "now, I want all of your merchant friends to know that she's with me. Do you understand?" The merchant nodded quickly. Dark pulled her back into the street.

Zelda shrugged out of his grip. "What was that all about? You went Gerudo on him!"

Dark rolled his eyes, his usual smile returning."Well, he was asking for it!" he said, his voice back to a carefree Hylian. The accent remained, but that had always been there. "Besides, we get free food now! Now we can spend the money I brought on games and stuff!"

"Games?" Zelda replied,incredulous. She didn't know all that much about the many games scattered around town.

Dark's grin widened. "Come on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the Bombchu bowling alley.

A few minutes, and a few spent rupees later, Dark and Zelda stood ready to start their bowling game. Zelda held a Bombchu nervously. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the shopkeeper, a teen who clearly wished for the day to be over. "Are you sure this isn't illegal?" Zelda asked.

The teen regarded her skeptically. "Well, of course not!"

"But we're—"

Dark cut her off. "What? So we're blowing a few things up. There's no harm in it! Look," he pointed at the alley, "do you see a single living thing in there?"

"Well… no, but…"

"Trust me, it's just a game!" To show her it was fine, he dropped his Bombchu on the ground facing the alley. Instantly it shot off towards the target. It climbed across the floor and up the wall with ease, quickly connecting with the target mark. When it hit, the wall exploded revealing the next level.

"See? No harm in it! Now, you try!"

Zelda's already pale face blanched. Dark made it look so easy… but it couldn't be _that_ simple. She gulped and gently placed her Bombchu in front of the alley. It took off,sending sparks across the ground. The moving bomb slammed with the target, effectively destroying the wall.

For a moment, there was silence in the room. Zelda stood stock**-**still, staring at the remains of the wall.

Dark walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Zelda?" he asked,"are you alright?"

She turned her head to look at him. "I… I did it. I did it on my first try!" Her face was flushed with excitement. "Can I take the next shot, Dark? Please?"

Dark smiled. "Of course!" He held out a third Bombchu. "We can play for as long as you like."

o0o0o0o0o0o

It was starting to get late, and Dark was almost out of money. The two friends had won so many times at the bowling alley that the shopkeeper had begged them to leave. After that, they had moved onto the shooting gallery, where Dark had shown his prowess with a bow. He had won her a little Keaton doll. The fox doll's nine tails bounced merrily as the two headed in the direction of the back alley.

"I still can't believe you hit two octorocks with one arrow, Dark," Zelda exclaimed, "but you know you didn't have to get me this;you could have gotten a bow for yourself!"

Dark smiled, waving his hand dismissively. "Eh, I can get a bow whenever I want. This is special."

Zelda smiled warmly. Going out for a day with Dark had been a brilliant idea. It was so nice to wander the stalls and houses without being under an adult's constant eye. This was the most fun she had had in a long time. She sighed happily, relaxing as she looked towards the palace.

o0o0o0o0o0o

_End Chapter_

YAY!! TITANIC CHAPPIE!!! dances happily I did it! I did it! I did it!! WOO. Three Chapters done! I usually only get two out before I give up on a story! XD I'm so proud! Hope you liked the chapter, 'cause I sure did!

And after all of the slash and burning editing this went through, it had better be good!

w

Next time:

_A heart-to-heart_


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